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We prove a combinatorial version of Thom's Isotopy Lemma for projection maps applied to any complex or real toric variety. Our results are constructive and give rise to a method for associating the Whitney strata of the projection to the faces of the polytope of the corresponding toric variety. For all examples we produced, our resulting algorithm outperforms known general purpose methods in Helmer and Nanda (FoCM, 2022), and Dinh and Jelonek (DCG, 2021) for computing map-stratifications.

We describe a new algorithm to compute Whitney stratifications of real and complex algebraic varieties. This algorithm is a modification of the algorithm of Helmer and Nanda (HN), but is made more efficient by using techniques for equidimensional decomposition rather than computing the set of associated primes of a polynomial ideal at a key step in the HN algorithm. We note that this modified algorithm may fail to produce a minimal Whitney stratification even when the HN algorithm would produce a minimal stratification. We, additionally, present an algorithm to coarsen any Whitney stratification of a complex variety to a minimal Whitney stratification; the theoretical basis for our approach is a classical result of Teissier.

We demonstrate that the complete and non-redundant set of Landau singularities of Feynman integrals may be explicitly obtained from the Whitney stratification of an algebraic map. As a proof of concept, we leverage recent theoretical and algorithmic advances in their computation, as well as their software implementation, in order to determine this set for several nontrivial examples of two-loop integrals. Interestingly, different strata of the Whitney stratification describe not only the singularities of a given integral, but also those of integrals obtained from kinematic limits, e.g.~by setting some of its masses or momenta to zero., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures

We describe an algorithm to compute Whitney stratifications of real algebraic varieties. The basic idea is to first stratify the complexified version of the given real variety using conormal techniques, and then to show that the resulting stratifications admit a description using only real polynomials. This method also extends to stratification problems involving certain basic semialgebraic sets as well as real algebraic maps. One of the map stratification algorithms described here yields a new method for solving the real root classification problem., Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures. Sec 2 is new and the introduction is expanded. Comments still welcome!

We provide evidence through two loops, that rational letters of polylogarithmic Feynman integrals are captured by the Landau equations, when the latter are recast as a polynomial of the kinematic variables of the integral, known as the principal $A$-determinant. Focusing on one loop, we further show that all square-root letters may also be obtained, by re-factorizing the principal $A$-determinant with the help of Jacobi identities. We verify our findings by explicitly constructing canonical differential equations for the one-loop integrals in both odd and even dimensions of loop momenta, also finding agreement with earlier results in the literature for the latter case. We provide a computer implementation of our results for the principal $A$-determinants, symbol alphabets and canonical differential equations in an accompanying Mathematica file. Finally, we study the question of when a one-loop integral satisfies the Cohen-Macaulay property and show that for almost all choices of kinematics the Cohen-Macaulay property holds. Throughout, in our approach to Feynman integrals, we make extensive use of the Gel'fand, Graev, Kapranov and Zelevinski\u{\i} theory on what are now commonly called GKZ-hypergeometric systems whose singularities are described by the principal $A$-determinant., Comment: 56 pages, 9 figures. v3: typos corrected, references added, presentation improved, matches published version

We present a probabilistic algorithm to test if a homogeneous polynomial ideal $I$ defining a scheme $X$ in $\mathbb{P}^n$ is radical using Segre classes and other geometric notions from intersection theory. Its worst case complexity depends on the geometry of $X$. If the scheme $X$ has reduced isolated primary components and no embedded components supported the singular locus of $X_{\rm red}=V(\sqrt{I})$, then the worst case complexity is doubly exponential in $n$; in all the other cases the complexity is singly exponential. The realm of the ideals for which our radical testing procedure requires only single exponential time includes examples which are often considered pathological, such as the ones drawn from the famous Mayr-Meyer set of ideals which exhibit doubly exponential complexity for the ideal membership problem.

The connection between Feynman integrals and GKZ $A$-hypergeometric systems has been a topic of recent interest with advances in mathematical techniques and computational tools opening new possibilities; in this paper we continue to explore this connection. To each such hypergeometric system there is an associated toric ideal, we prove that the latter has the Cohen-Macaulay property for two large families of Feynman integrals. This implies, for example, that both the number of independent solutions and dynamical singularities are independent of space-time dimension and generalized propagator powers. Furthermore, in particular, it means that the process of finding a series representation of these integrals is fully algorithmic., Comment: Clarified some of the technical aspects of the paper and added an appendix by Uli Walther. Also fixed typos

We describe a new algorithm for computing Whitney stratifications of complex projective varieties. The main ingredients are (a) an algebraic criterion, due to L\^e and Teissier, which reformulates Whitney regularity in terms of conormal spaces and maps, and (b) a new interpretation of this conormal criterion via primary decomposition, which can be practically implemented on a computer. We show that this algorithm improves upon the existing state of the art by several orders of magnitude, even for relatively small input varieties. En route, we introduce related algorithms for efficiently stratifying affine varieties, flags on a given variety, and algebraic maps., Comment: There is an error in the published version of the article (Found Comput Math, 2022) which has been fixed in this update. Section 3 is entirely new, but the downstream results Sections 4-6 remain largely the same. We have also updated the Runtimes and Complexity estimates in Section 7. The def. of the integral closure of an ideal has also been corrected

We describe a framework for estimating Hilbert-Samuel multiplicities $e_XY$ for pairs of projective varieties $X \subset Y$ from finite point samples rather than defining equations. The first step involves proving that this multiplicity remains invariant under certain hyperplane sections which reduce $X$ to a point $p$ and $Y$ to a curve $C$. Next, we establish that $e_pC$ equals the Euler characteristic (and hence, the cardinality) of the complex link of $p$ in $C$. Finally, we provide explicit bounds on the number of uniform point samples needed (in an annular neighborhood of $p$ in $C$) to determine this Euler characteristic with high confidence., Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures. This is a major revision. There is a problem with the Lefschetz theorem from Sec 6 of v1: it applies not to the usual complex linking space but to a projective version thereof (which has a very different topology in general). We have removed the old Sec 6 and replaced it with a new theorem on inferring multiplicities from point samples with high confidence

We study questions of existence and uniqueness of quadrature domains using computational tools from real algebraic geometry. These problems are transformed into questions about the number of solutions to an associated real semi-algebraic system, which is analyzed using the method of real comprehensive triangular decomposition., Comment: Corrected a minor and isolated typo in (4)

Alt's problem, formulated in 1923, is to count the number of four-bar linkages whose coupler curve interpolates nine general points in the plane. This problem can be phrased as counting the number of solutions to a system of polynomial equations which was first solved numerically using homotopy continuation by Wampler, Morgan, and Sommese in 1992. Since there is still not a proof that all solutions were obtained, we consider upper bounds for Alt's problem by counting the number of solutions outside of the base locus to a system arising as the general linear combination of polynomials. In particular, we derive effective symbolic and numeric methods for studying such systems using probabilistic saturations that can be employed using both finite fields and floating-point computations. We give bounds on the size of finite field required to achieve a desired level of certainty. These methods can also be applied to many other problems where similar systems arise such as computing the volumes of Newton-Okounkov bodies and computing intersection theoretic invariants including Euler characteristics, Chern classes, and Segre classes.

We study families of chemical reaction networks whose positive steady states are toric, and therefore can be parameterized by monomials. Families are constructed algorithmically from a core network; we show that if a family member is multistationary, then so are all subsequent networks in the family. Further, we address the questions of model selection and experimental design for families by investigating the algebraic dependencies of the chemical concentrations using matroids. Given a family with toric steady states and a constant number of conservation relations, we construct a matroid that encodes important information regarding the steady state behaviour of the entire family. Among other things, this gives necessary conditions for the distinguishability of families of reaction networks with respect to a data set of measured chemical concentrations. We illustrate our results using multi-site phosphorylation networks.

Bistability and multistationarity are properties of reaction networks linked to switch-like responses and connected to cell memory and cell decision making. Determining whether and when a network exhibits bistability is a hard and open mathematical problem. One successful strategy consists of analyzing small networks and deducing that some of the properties are preserved upon passage to the full network. Motivated by this we study chemical reaction networks with few chemical complexes. Under mass-action kinetics the steady states of these networks are described by fewnomial systems, that is polynomial systems having few distinct monomials. Such systems of polynomials are often studied in real algebraic geometry by the use of Gale dual systems. Using this Gale duality we give precise conditions in terms of the reaction rate constants for the number and stability of the steady states of families of reaction networks with one non-flow reaction.

Let $X \subset Y$ be closed (possibly singular) subschemes of a smooth projective toric variety $T$. We show how to compute the Segre class $s(X,Y)$ as a class in the Chow group of $T$. Building on this, we give effective methods to compute intersection products in projective varieties, to determine algebraic multiplicity without working in local rings, and to test pairwise containment of subvarieties of $T$. Our methods may be implemented without using Groebner bases; in particular any algorithm to compute the number of solutions of a zero-dimensional polynomial system may be used.

Suppose that $X_A\subset \mathbb{P}^{n-1}$ is a toric variety of codimension two defined by an $(n-2)\times n$ integer matrix $A$, and let $B$ be a Gale dual of $A$. In this paper we compute the Euclidean distance degree and polar degrees of $X_A$ (along with other associated invariants) combinatorially working from the matrix $B$. Our approach allows for the consideration of examples that would be impractical using algebraic or geometric methods. It also yields considerably simpler computational formulas for these invariants, allowing much larger examples to be computed much more quickly than the analogous combinatorial methods using the matrix $A$ in the codimension two case., Comment: 25 pages, 1 figure

In this paper we investigate the complexity of model selection and model testing for dynamical systems with toric steady states. Such systems frequently arise in the study of chemical reaction networks. We do this by formulating these tasks as a constrained optimization problem in Euclidean space. This optimization problem is known as a Euclidean distance problem; the complexity of solving this problem is measured by an invariant called the Euclidean distance (ED) degree. We determine closed-form expressions for the ED degree of the steady states of several families of chemical reaction networks with toric steady states and arbitrarily many reactions. To illustrate the utility of this work we show how the ED degree can be used as a tool for estimating the computational cost of solving the model testing and model selection problems.

We study the maximum likelihood degree (ML degree) of toric varieties, known as discrete exponential models in statistics. By introducing scaling coefficients to the monomial parameterization of the toric variety, one can change the ML degree. We show that the ML degree is equal to the degree of the toric variety for generic scalings, while it drops if and only if the scaling vector is in the locus of the principal $A$-determinant. We also illustrate how to compute the ML estimate of a toric variety numerically via homotopy continuation from a scaled toric variety with low ML degree. Throughout, we include examples motivated by algebraic geometry and statistics. We compute the ML degree of rational normal scrolls and a large class of Veronese-type varieties. In addition, we investigate the ML degree of scaled Segre varieties, hierarchical loglinear models, and graphical models., Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures

We determine the Euclidean distance degree of a projective toric variety. This extends the formula of Matsui and Takeuchi for the degree of the $A$-discriminant in terms of Euler obstructions. Our primary goal is the development of reliable algorithmic tools for computing the points on a real toric variety that are closest to a given data point., Comment: 20 pages

We derive a general formula for the Euler characteristic of a fibration of projective hypersurfaces in terms of invariants of an arbitrary base variety. When the general fiber is an elliptic curve, such formulas have appeared in the physics literature in the context of calculating D-brane charge for M-/F-theory and type-IIB compactifications of string vacua. While there are various methods for computing Euler characteristics of algebraic varieties, we prove a base-independent pushforward formula which reduces the computation of the Euler characteristic of relative hypersurfaces to simple algebraic manipulations of rational expressions determined by its divisor class in a projective bundle. We illustrate our methods by applying them to an explicit family of relative hypersurfaces whose fibers are of arbitrary dimension and degree.

Topological invariants such as characteristic classes are an important tool to aid in understanding and categorizing the structure and properties of algebraic varieties. In this note we consider the problem of computing a particular characteristic class, the Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson class, of a complete simplicial toric variety X defined by a fan from the combinatorial data contained in the fan. Specifically, we give an effective combinatorial algorithm to compute the Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson class of X, in the Chow ring (or rational Chow ring) of X. This method is formulated by combining, and when necessary modifying, several known results from the literature and is implemented in Macaulay2 for test purposes.

Let $X_{\Sigma}$ be a smooth complete toric variety defined by a fan $\Sigma$ and let $V=V(I)$ be a subscheme of $X_{\Sigma}$ defined by an ideal $I$ homogeneous with respect to the grading on the total coordinate ring of $X_{\Sigma}$. We show a new expression for the Segre class $s(V,X_{\Sigma})$ in terms of the projective degrees of a rational map specified by the generators of $I$ when each generator corresponds to a numerically effective (nef) divisor. Restricting to the case where $X_{\Sigma}$ is a smooth projective toric variety and dehomogenizing the total homogeneous coordinate ring of $X_{\Sigma}$ via a dehomogenizing ideal we also give an expression for the projective degrees of this rational map in terms of the dimension of an explicit quotient ring. Under an additional technical assumption we construct what we call a general dehomogenizing ideal and apply this construction to give effective algorithms to compute the Segre class $s(V,X_{\Sigma})$, the Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson class $c_{SM}(V)$ and the topological Euler characteristic $\chi(V)$ of $V$. These algorithms can, in particular, be used for subschemes of any product of projective spaces $\mathbb{P}^{n_1} \times \cdots \times \mathbb{P}^{n_j}$ or for subschemes of many other projective toric varieties. Running time bounds for several of the algorithms are given and the algorithms are tested on a variety of examples. In all applicable cases our algorithms to compute these characteristic classes are found to offer significantly increased performance over other known algorithms.

Let $V$ be a possibly singular scheme-theoretic complete intersection subscheme of $\mathbb{P}^n$ over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. Using a recent result of Fullwood ("On Milnor classes via invariants of singular subschemes", Journal of Singularities) we develop an algorithm to compute the Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson class and Euler characteristic of $V$. This algorithm complements existing algorithms by providing performance improvements in the computation of the Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson class and Euler characteristic for certain types of complete intersection subschemes of $\mathbb{P}^n$., Comment: 47 pages, 3 tables, with Appendix by Martin Helmer and Eric Schost

Let $V$ be a closed subscheme of a projective space $\mathbb{P}^n$. We give an algorithm to compute the Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson class, Euler characteristic and Segre class of $ V$. The algorithm can be implemented using either symbolic or numerical methods. The algorithm is based on a new method for calculating the projective degrees of a rational map defined by a homogeneous ideal. Using this result and known formulas for the Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson class of a projective hypersurface and the Segre class of a projective variety in terms of the projective degrees of certain rational maps we give algorithms to compute the Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson class and Segre class of a projective variety. Since the Euler characteristic of $V$ is the degree of the zero dimensional component of the Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson class of $V$ our algorithm also computes the Euler characteristic $\chi(V)$. Relationships between the algorithm developed here and other existing algorithms are discussed. The algorithm is tested on several examples and performs favourably compared to current algorithms for computing Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson classes, Segre classes and Euler characteristics.